UPDATE 1-First Republican weighs Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat bid

February 05, 2013|Reuters

(Adds official announcement)

By Scott Malone

BOSTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A Republican state representativesaid on Tuesday he was exploring whether to run for the openMassachusetts U.S. Senate seat, the first from his party to showinterest in the race since former Senator Scott Brown opted out.

Dan Winslow, a 54-year-old former state court justice whohas been in the statehouse since 2011, said on his Website hewill set up an exploratory committee on a bid for the seat, opened by John Kerry's appointment as secretary of state.

"Today I'm taking the necessary steps to form an exploratorycommittee to test the waters for the U.S. Senate," said Winslow,who represents a district including the town of Norfolk, about30 miles (48 km) southwest of Boston. "We need to fix a brokenWashington where progress is being hampered by partisangridlock."

No major Republican has declared a run in the predominantlyDemocratic state, dimming Republicans' hopes of adding to their45 seats in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats have a majority.

Two well-known Democrats, U.S. Representatives Ed Markey andStephen Lynch, have launched their bids, setting the stage foran April 30 party primary.

Brown, who was defeated by Democrat Elizabeth Warren in November, said last week he would not run.

Several other well-known Republicans, including formerGovernor William Weld and Tagg Romney, the son of formerMassachusetts Governor and former presidential candidate MittRomney, have also ruled out runs.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat, on Jan. 30named his former chief of staff, William Cowan, to hold Kerry's Senate seat until a successor is picked.

Cowan told reporters he viewed the appointment as temporaryand had no plans to run in the special election.